10 scariest movie soundtracks ever

Caption10. 'The Bride of Frankenstein' (1935)

The granddaddy of all monster movie scores, Franz Waxman's majestic orchestral score -- utilizing three basic themes, for the creature, his mate and the mad Dr. Pretorius -- was so popular with film audiences that Universal repurposed sections of it in dozens of shorts, serials, westerns, and myriad B pictures for decades to come; the penultimate section of the score, "The Creation of the Female Monster," is often heard in symphony halls during the Halloween season. Listen to music from "The Bride of Frankenstein"

The granddaddy of all monster movie scores, Franz Waxman's majestic orchestral score -- utilizing three basic themes, for the creature, his mate and the mad Dr. Pretorius -- was so popular with film audiences that Universal repurposed sections of it in dozens of shorts, serials, westerns, and myriad B pictures for decades to come; the penultimate section of the score, "The Creation of the Female Monster," is often heard in symphony halls during the Halloween season. Listen to music from "The Bride of Frankenstein"

Mia Farrow gives birth to the son of Satan in this trend-setting classic. Director Roman Polanski sets the tone immediately with Polish jazz pianist/composer Krzysztof Komeda's disquieting main title -- a haunting lullaby sung by Farrow and interspersed with unusual chords played on a wheezing harpsichord. Komeda's score repeats the lullaby throughout the film until it reaches its horrifying climax and is reprised in an orchestral version over the end credits. Tragically, Komeda, who had provided jazz-influenced scores for Polanski's previous films -- including tongue-in-cheek scarefest music for his horror parody "The Fearless Vampire Killers" -- died soon after "Rosemary's Baby" was completed. Listen to music from "Rosemary's Baby"

Mia Farrow gives birth to the son of Satan in this trend-setting classic. Director Roman Polanski sets the tone immediately with Polish jazz pianist/composer Krzysztof Komeda's disquieting main title -- a haunting lullaby sung by Farrow and interspersed with unusual chords played on a wheezing harpsichord. Komeda's score repeats the lullaby throughout the film until it reaches its horrifying climax and is reprised in an orchestral version over the end credits. Tragically, Komeda, who had provided jazz-influenced scores for Polanski's previous films -- including tongue-in-cheek scarefest music for his horror parody "The Fearless Vampire Killers" -- died soon after "Rosemary's Baby" was completed. Listen to music from "Rosemary's Baby"

It's no surprise that most of the movies that have made audiences scream in terror (and delight) have been underscored with truly creepy themes. From the symphonic sweep of classic horror in Franz Waxman's groundbreaking score for "The Bride of Frankenstein" to Bernard Herrmann's shrieking strings in the shower sequence in Hitchcock's "Psycho," here's our list of the top 10 scary movie themes -- in frightening reverse order! -- Richard Knight Jr., Tribune Newspapers